Think you know Upbring?
For more than a century, we have been working to break the cycle of child abuse in Texas by empowering children, families and communities. What started as an orphanage in the 1860s has evolved into the life-changing programs in place today throughout the state. Along the way, we have proudly grown and adapted to the needs of those we serve, always putting children first.
Even with Upbring’s longstanding legacy of creating positive change in Texas, some aspects of our mission, history and accomplishments may surprise you. Here are nine things you may not know about Upbring.
1. Upbring is a noun—and a verb.
We have been known by different names throughout our history, most notably Lutheran Social Services of the South. In 2015 we became Upbring, a name that honors our past while capturing our enduring promise to future generations.
Upbring not only describes what we do, it’s also inherently optimistic and action oriented. We “bring up” children in a way that empowers them to build resilience and lead lives of opportunity.
2. We talk about child wellbeing, not child welfare.
Upbring is unlike any other child placing agency in our commitment to not just give one child a chance, but to ensure every single child in Texas can flourish.
We believe in child wellbeing as described by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a respected intergovernmental group with 38 member countries including the United States. OECD’s definition of child wellbeing comes down to “…creating the right conditions in childhood to allow children to thrive, both today and later in life.”
This framework reflects Upbring’s broad spectrum of services including social, emotional, cultural, physical, cognitive, educational and material, which work together to promote a child’s holistic health and development.
3. We call our employees “warriors.”
Upbring employees are true champions for children and the backbone of child wellbeing. They bring our mission to life every day through their strength, dedication and leadership. Together we work tirelessly for Texas children to receive the care they need and deserve. That’s why we call our people Upbring Warriors.
Learn more about our culture and how to join our team.
4. Our leaders are not the usual suspects.
Browse Upbring’s leadership team and you’ll find a diverse group of public servants, individually motivated and collectively committed to breaking the cycle of child abuse. Some have backgrounds in social services and nonprofit management, while others bring business and public policy expertise to their roles. Collectively, their experiences and perspectives form a one-of-a-kind vision for tackling the systemic challenges facing child wellbeing in Texas and beyond.
What’s more, Upbring President and CEO Michael Loo won the Austin Business Journal’s Best Nonprofit CEO Award in October 2023, acknowledging his leadership and the organization’s collective impact in the region.
5. Prevention is key.
Upbring doesn’t just serve children with a history of trauma, we work to prevent child abuse from happening in the first place. Our programs and services provide resources, education and personalized support to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect, because child wellbeing hinges upon parental wellbeing. Only when families have a strong foundation can children thrive. That’s how we’ll truly break the cycle.
We’re also working on innovations to assess and predict child abuse in our Texas communities, which brings us to….
6. We invest in innovation.
In 2017, we launched Upbring Innovation Labs (UIL), making us the first child placing agency to invest more than $1 million annually in innovation. In an industry that often lags behind others, UIL is a human-centered design idea factory that seeks to explore new, change-oriented ideas and technologies to help address the institutional challenges facing children in Texas.
To date, we have successfully developed solutions to help streamline processes throughout our own direct care and education programs and have launched VectorPointTM—a patent-pending service delivery approach that enhances caregivers’ ability to improve child wellbeing.
7. We are advancing child wellbeing research.
Upbring also elevates the field of abuse prevention through groundbreaking, collaborative research. Our latest research project, the Texas Youth Permanency Study (TYPS), sought to determine new ways to support youth in the foster care system and provide the resources they need to thrive in adulthood.
TYPS found that relational permanency—the presence of a trusted adult in a child’s life—matters far more than legal or physical permanency, which are the traditional barometers for success in foster care. We then turned those insights into broad policy and legislative recommendations to help youth transition from foster care to adulthood. Read the TYPS white paper.
8. We’re leading the child wellbeing and nonprofit sectors in Texas.
Upbring’s recent successes are the result of a decade-long transformation where we strategically improved our operations, finances, programs and structure. As a result, we have scaled our impact on Texas children and families, serving nearly 100,000 people and generating nearly $1 billion in program revenue over the last 10 years. Upbring’s high employee retention rate and low overhead rate also are rare in the child wellbeing sector, underscoring our steadfast commitment to wellbeing and excellence.
9. We’re in YOUR Texas community.
With nearly 70 locations across the state—and growing—Upbring is deeply embedded in the communities we serve. Upbring Warriors work with our partners and volunteers to deliver a range of high-quality programs and services for Texas children and families. We love our state, and for many of us, this mission is personal. Every volunteer, partnership and dollar takes us one step closer to breaking the cycle of abuse for Texas children and advancing wellbeing.
Get to know Upbring, then lend your heart and hands to our mission. Visit Upbring.org/Get-Involved.